Winter Solace
by Lumiwolf
Summary: He makes her believe that is incapable, but all he ever wanted was to protect her. [Novella]
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys, long time no see. I have a term paper due December 3rd so that should be the only thing standing between me and this story lol. I've been adding stuff here and there. Not sure I'm completely satisfied but when is an author ever completely satisfied? Anyways, thanks so much for the reviews and follows to me and my other stories as well as the favorites. It means so much to me you don't even know! I will be adding chapter two right after this one so enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. **

**Notes: **_Shimogakure: Frost Village; Kirigakure: Mist Villaget; Otogakure: Sound Village; Kusagakure: Sound Village _

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><p><strong>Chapter One: My Chance<strong>

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><p>"Hinata," A strong voice called to her, causing her to react quickly and snap her head up from her daze. For some reason, her father had called her to meet with him and Hanabi, her sister. Her younger sibling sat erect, her eyes focused at nothing but she was clearly listening to what their father had to say. Hinata focused her eyes on Hiashi as she made certain that her mind was there in the present.<p>

"I'm listening, father." Hinata confirmed. She was listening, but she wished she could close her ears. She wished that she could shut him out or ignore what he was about to tell her. She knew exactly what this was going to be about and she wanted to make sure she had the strength to be able to handle it, to show him that she had as much worth as her sister.

"I need you to show me that you are prepared to become the head of the clan. I cannot hold this position for much longer and with Neji…" He trailed off and gathered his thoughts, "I have to consider you as next in line. Hanabi isn't old enough and I need you to step up as Hyuga." Hiashi stood to his feet and made his way out of the room, leaving Hinata behind and Hanabi to follow him. Hinata sat there in silence as she took in the information.

Over the years as Hinata developed as a woman, she had jumped through many hoops and pushed past the obstacles that had been thrown at her. It had been difficult coming up in the main Hyuga house. As the first born of Hiashi, she had many expectations to fulfill.

Not only expectations, but shoes—Neji's shoes.

As a person that she respected, she found it difficult to find the median of staying true to herself and not mimicking his ways. She always wondered if she was going down the right path and if her father had a choice other than herself, would he choose Hanabi instead. Her own insecurities always seemed to get the best of her. So much had been going on and things had been moving so fast that she didn't know if she was here or there.

The Hyuga pinched the bridge of her nose and then stood from her kneeled position. How was she going to step it up? How was she going to prove herself to her father? The only thing she could think of was to talk with Tsunade and see what she could offer her. The thought if this made her feel uneasy, because she had never done anything other than one A-Rank mission.

Insecurities.

Insecurities were invading her mind again. She couldn't let it do that to her. There was so much at stake and she had been working hard to earn the respect of others. Hinata supposed that the best she could do was to speak with Tsunade and go from there. She had to be hopeful about it and show that she was more than just an introvert and that she absolutely capable of taking on heavy tasks. All it took was to take the first step and head over to her office.

Yeah, it would be just that easy.

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><p>Hinata fought with herself at the base of the stairs leading into Tsunade's office. She couldn't be afraid anymore and she had to push herself. "Yes, I can do this." She muttered to herself as she walked up the stairs and stood in front of the door. The Hyuga took a deep breath and knocked gently against the door. She waited for a few moments and could hear a stir before the Fifth responded,<p>

"Come in."

She stepped inside of the room and looked around to see that Tsunade was the only one inside. There were many documents on her desk as there had always been and Tsunade's expression had been filled with distress and exhaustion. Who knew how long she'd been working and toiling away, but there were things that needed to be done. Tsunade had been working to rebuild Konoha and there were even still parts of the village that needed tending to. They had a long ways to go and communication with other countries had become a strain on her.

There were many treaties that needed to be signed and people she needed to follow up with post-war. They were short-handed and the decisions that had to be made had to be made right then. Still, Tsunade felt as though some people weren't ready for the tasks that needed to be taken care of and if she had to, she would have to figure out alternative ways to get them done. The blond looked up from her cup of tea and smiled at the Hyuga. For some odd reason, just seeing her brightened her day. Hinata had been so gentle in her eyes and was filled with so much potential. As Hinata stood before her, she had come to realize that she had grown to be a strong kunoichi. Tsunade turned her gaze back to her work in front of her and began signing off on a few pieces of paper.

"What can I do for you?" The Hokage inquired, her eyes focused on her paperwork.

"Ah, yes. I was wondering if you had any work for me to do. I mean, if you had any missions that I could take on." Hinata replied rather quickly and then exhaled to calm herself. It was fine, she tried to remind herself.

Tsunade paused for a moment and then said, "I don't have anything too urgent right now. I do have a few C or B-ranked missions that you could handle, I'm sure." She continued to sign and stamp a few papers.

Hinata stood there feeling insulted. C or B-ranked missions? Is that what Tsunade thought of her? Is that what everyone thought she was capable of doing, only those low rung missions? This wasn't enough to show that she was capable of handling the Hyuga clan as the head. This wasn't enough to fully show her potential. But then again, if the Hokage thought that she wasn't ready, then perhaps she wasn't ready. She stood there for a few moments in silence, thinking of her options. Maybe it would just take some time and she should accept what was given to her.

While she was deep in confliction, she heard a knock on Tsunade's door. It was no surprise to her seeing that people came in and out of her office all the time.

"Come in." Tsunade said, breaking the silence between them.

Before Hinata could turn around, she was jumped by the large beast named Akamaru. He barked and wagged his tail gleefully as he covered her face with drool. She couldn't help but laugh at his ticklish tongue and pet him on top of his head. Of course this could only mean that Kiba was to be followed after him. He seemed serious for some reason and called Akamaru back to his side to stand at attention. Hinata turned back to Tsunade, wiping away Akamaru's kisses and returned to her thoughts.

"You asked for me, Lady Tsunade?" Kiba raised a brow and crossed his arms over his chest. Instead of his usual banter, he seemed focused. Whatever task Tsunade had for him, must have been something he felt that he had to take very seriously. Everyone picked up missions every now and again, but when it came to Konoha and being a shinobi, whenever the Hokage called you in to take care of a task it was important to come in with a leveled and focused mind.

Tsunade hesitated to answer and looked at Hinata with apprehension. Hinata looked between Kiba and Tsunade. It didn't take a skilled ninja to understand what was going on. She opened her mouth to say something, but Tsunade went first, "What about Shino? Where is he?"

"Shino is off on another mission remember? I don't think he or Chouji will be back for a few weeks," Kiba went on to explain. Tsunade sighed and rubbed her temples. Of course, how could she overlook something like that? She'd been swamped with so much work that she forgot about all the things she'd asked the other shinobi to do. The blond rested her elbows onto her desk, fingers laced, and forehead pressed against her hands.

"What mission is it?" Hinata interjected, causing them both to look at her and then look at each other. Kiba said nothing as Tsunade leaned back into her chair.

"I can't disclose that to you." She replied simply.

Hinata frowned, taking in what she'd just said and then looked to Kiba. He didn't look directly at her and as a matter of fact he avoided her. He wasn't sure what he could say to her and especially with how delicate the information was. The Hyuga looked back to their Hokage and furrowed her brows. She was certainly displeased with this situation and didn't quite understand why she wouldn't just allow her to take on the operation. The boldness inside told her she was able to take it and this would be a perfect chance to show everyone that she could handle whatever could be thrown at her. As future head, she had to be able to do these things and she couldn't do them if no one gave her a chance.

"With all due respect Lady Tsunade, I am more than capable of taking on this task. I assume that his operation is of either A or S-rank. I want to take on this opportunity because I know I can do it." Hinata had strength in her voice and Kiba watched her with awe. It was surprising to see her speak like that, especially someone higher up than she.

"Hinata, if Tsunade felt like you were capable she would've chosen you to begin with. I think her actions are justified and I think if we just need someone who knows how to handle it." Kiba sounded a bit cocky. He brushed her off as if she was a genin. Hinata could feel the anger boiling within her. She had taken a lot of insults and she refused to be stepped on any longer. If there was one thing that she gained, it was some self-respect for herself.

"Kiba, I don't need you to tell me what I am adequate enough to do. I know what I can do and I have shown that I possess the ability to show you all what I can do. I am not some weakling that can only stand back and watch her comrades move forward. I want to move forward too!" Hinata caught herself. She had to calm down and knew she'd raised her voice at him. She didn't mean to be that way, but she was tired of everyone treating her like a child. She could do it and if everyone just took her seriously, she could show them.

Tsunade pushed her chair back and stood from her desk. She grabbed a scroll from her desk and handed it off to Hinata. "I think you're more than capable. I apologize for making you feel doubted Hinata, here." Hinata looked from Kiba to Tsunade and reached for the scroll. When she had it in her hand, she stared at it for a few moments in shock.

"I—I don't know…" Hinata stared at the scroll and looked back to Tsunade who'd leaned against the desk, her arms folded.

"Listen to me, the both of you. What you read in that scroll, here in this office is between us and no one else. These are the instructions for your mission. It is an S-ranked mission and it requires transporting this important scroll to Shimogakure in the Land of Frost." Tsunade looked at them expectantly. Kiba grabbed the scroll from Hinata's hands and opened it. She moved near him in order to read the requirements of the mission.

The requirements were acceptable and expected. The contents of the scroll mostly included shinobi rules and who to give it to. It also required that the mission be fulfilled without returning to the village. Returning to the village without having completed the mission meant dishonor and much worse than that—it meant that the scroll fell into the wrong hands. Hinata took a deep breath and put together her thoughts as if it were a puzzle. She had decided to take on this task in order to show her strength, however it was her first. It was the first time she had ever received an S-ranked mission and she would have to go at it alone with Kiba.

There would be no one to cover for her other than him and this mission had no room for error.

"Understood," the both said simultaneously.

"Good. Be on the lookout for other ninja in the area. My resources tell me that there are others that seek out this piece of information will attempt to intercept you. Once there, you will meet with a shinobi from Kirigakure. They will then be responsible for handling the rest. Until then, you will take care of this with your life. You must be willing to die for this mission. If you do not have the will, I need to know now." Tsunade's words were firm. The air around them was heavy with the seriousness of this mission. Hinata's chest felt constricted with worry and fear.

"I understand." Kiba answer immediately as he looked directly into the eyes of the Fifth.

Now wasn't the time to second guess herself. She had said that she wanted to do this and now there was no looking back. "I understand as well," Hinata nodded finally.

"Good. The mission starts now. Information tells me that you might be able to avoid being ambushed before reaching the borders of the Land of Fire." She pushed herself into a standing position and headed back to sit in her chair. "You are dismissed."

Both Hinata and Kiba bowed before they pivoted and left her office. When they'd reached the outdoors, they'd said nothing at all. Hinata's mind was filled with thoughts of what-might-happens and what-if scenarios. She also had to think of different things to carry with her. She knew that carrying too much could hinder her, but if she forgot anything important the what-ifs came to mind. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Kiba stopped and turned to her.

"I guess I'll meet you at the village gate," He sounded unhappy about it. Hinata bit her lip, unsure of what to say other than,

"Okay." The canine turned from her and headed to his place. She watched him for a few moments and then headed in the opposite direction.

Saying nothing was probably the best she could do for now.

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><p>Ko, Hinata's bodyguard, helped with her packing. Although she did try very hard to get him not to, he insisted that he help her with it. As they packed in silence, she couldn't help but feel hopeful that the mission would go by quickly. Her inexperience with S-ranked missions would probably play a huge role in their success. She didn't want to hold Kiba back. She continued to fold her things and put them in her bag and while she did this Ko moved to place a hand on her shoulder. Hinata looked up at him, trying to wipe the worry from her eyes.<p>

"Lady Hinata, I wouldn't worry so much. I think you will do fine. This is a great opportunity to show your father how hard you've worked," Ko looked at her with encouragement. She smiled and nodded. She didn't know why she kept riddling herself with those kinds of thoughts. It was a bad habit that she wasn't able to shake. She sighed and grabbed a few more things before reaching to slide her door open when her father stood at its entrance. She stepped back and bowed her head respectfully along with Ko.

"Hinata, I hear that you're going off on your first S-ranked mission. I hope you've prepared yourself for what you may or may not face. The conditions of this kind of mission are nothing compared to what you've challenged yourself to before. I know that during the war you did your part, but I hope you've realized that it was never going to end there." Similar eyes looked into hers and although it seemed like he was scolding her, these were his words of encouragement.

"Yes, father, I understand. I will hold our honor and I will not let you down," Hinata said with conviction. Seeing her father just before leaving meant a lot to her. He focused much of his time on Hanabi, even after the war. It seemed as though sometimes no matter how much she pushed, she would never reach the height that her younger sister was at. So with a personal send off like this, she had to count her blessings that he still cared.

Hiashi's eyes softened and then he nodded before taking his leave. Hinata turned to Ko with a soft smile. "Don't worry, everything will be fine and I'll be back in no time." The Hyuga and her bodyguard exited her room and exchanged their goodbyes and Hinata made her way down the dirt path.

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><p>When Hinata arrived, Kiba had been waiting for her at the entrance of the village. He was preoccupied with Akamaru, as they laughed and barked at one another. As Hinata neared him, he stood to his feet and stuffed his hands into his pockets. He gave her a sideways glance and fixed his mouth to speak, "You're awfully late. We could've gone ages ago."<p>

Normally a person would be taken aback by the way he spoke, but Hinata had been around him for so long that she was used to his mannerisms. But saying that she was used to his mannerisms didn't change how she acted around him. As she normally did, she started to feel a little guilty. "I'm sorry. I spoke with my father and I was caught up in packing all of my things." She tried to explain, although she knew that this excuse would probably not be enough.

Kiba stared at her for a few moments and frowned. He looked as if he wanted to say something else but resigned. He turned and began to lead the way with Akamaru right behind him. Hinata stood there awkwardly for a few moments and heaved a sigh before following after him. Kiba had always been the type to be the leader. When they'd been on missions when they were children, he always told everyone what to do. The odd thing about it all was that from the beginning they trusted his instincts and allowed him to be the 'leader.'

Sometimes she wondered if they'd really trusted in him or was it because neither of them wanted to argue. Shino had never been the type to bicker about anything. He complied with most things but he was fully capable of speaking up if he didn't like something. Speaking of, Shino had been busy on his own mission. Lately the former Team 8 had been separated. They spent a little less time together than they used to, but somehow seemed to get together when all them had the time. Kiba usually did most of the talking and Hinata managed to get a few words in, but Shino would always be Shino. He only spoke when he felt like he needed to.

There was always something special about Team 8. They were a strange trio and somehow they managed to work through even the toughest times. She had been the weakest of the three and over the years, Kiba seemed to lighten up on how tough he was on her. Maybe he saw that she was actually trying? She assumed that she should probably leave it to the fact that he'd just been too busy to worry about what everyone else was doing.

She wondered what he improved on and what he lacked. Maybe she should've thought about that before she went on this mission with him. Maybe that was why he really didn't want to go on this mission with her.

Maybe she should stop thinking about all these _maybes_ because she was starting to get a headache.

Kiba glanced back and slowed his pace to even with hers. He watched her carefully for a few moments and then said, "You should stop thinking so much, you're worrying yourself to death."

Hinata opened her mouth then closed it. He'd caught her doing one of her old bad habits. This then got her to thinking:

Maybe he had been paying attention?

Again, she caught herself overthinking the situation again. It wouldn't be possible. Besides, what possible reason could there be for him to worry over her so much?

As they walked in silence, Kiba kept himself ahead of her and Hinata continued to walk two steps behind. This situation was already starting to become extremely uncomfortable and they hadn't really gotten far enough from the village to really put a dent in the mission. Hinata began to wonder if it was always going to be this way while they were together. If it was, she didn't like the idea very much.

"So, what exactly have you been up to Kiba?" The air between them was frigid and what used to feel like a strong companionship between the two of them felt like they were complete strangers.

"Nothing, I've just been busy making sure I'm strong enough to take over the clan. I've been rebuilding a lot of things with my family and I've also been helping some of the civilians rebuild their homes." Kiba explained as he slowed to walk beside her. She smiled a bit to herself. This was much better. At least now they could walk together and chat together like real friends again.

Their conversations seem to go along pretty smoothly, up until Hinata began to question the mission and his reasoning as to why he had objected to her coming along as his partner. Kiba had grown quiet and had actually picked up his pace. His back was to her again and now she was walking two steps behind him. She was now at her starting position.

She wondered if she had said something wrong.

Perhaps she should go at this with a different approach? If this didn't work, she didn't know what would or if she would really be able to handle the rest of this mission alongside him. But, she wanted to look on the bright side.

Kiba wouldn't treat his friend like that would he? At least he'd never treated her like this, until now.

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><p><strong>AN: It's a start lol. Um leave a review or something. Let me know what you think and how you feel about it. All forms of criticism are welcome as long as you're not rude xD. Again, big thanks to those who have taken the time to like my previous stories and especially Hot Minute. I read that last night and was like, "Wow, I really wrote this?" xDD Anyways, see you next chapter. I'm putting it up right now! -LumiWolf<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Here is chapter two as promised. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

**Note: Bold** words are abilities and_ Italics_ are thoughts.

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><p><strong>Chapter Two: My Ability<strong>

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><p>He had begun ignoring her again.<p>

She wouldn't lie, it was a bit irritating. It felt like forever before they made camp a few miles away from the village. So far, they'd managed to get at least ten miles during the first day. If they paced themselves, they would be at the border in no time. Once at the border, they would be able to avoid the possibilities of an ambush just as Tsunade said.

But in this world, it was always nice to be optimistic. Nothing ever went the way that you wanted to, so it was up to them to use their instincts and be prepared for the worst.

Kiba pitched his tent and Hinata had been working on hers. Once he had completed his, Akamaru trotted inside and laid down with a yawn. It had been an eventful day and they'd done pretty well to get as far as they had. Once her tent had been set up, she went to grab the wood that they'd picked up around the area while Kiba started to build the fire. She settled in a spot on the ground and looked over at him. It was oddly distant between the two of them and Kiba had been more silent than she'd ever seen him. When the fire was build, Kiba settled back into his place on the ground and stared into the fire. Hinata, not liking the silence, began to speak.

"So, we've gotten off on a good start. We haven't had any trouble so far…" She would say anything to break the ice.

"We haven't had any trouble because we're only six miles outside of the village. This is way too close for anyone to want to ambush us, besides we could've gone farther but…I don't want to rush through this mission. Since this is your first S-ranked mission, I wanted to take our time ya know." He picked up a branch and began poking at the fire to keep it going. Hinata stared into the flames. Now she sounded stupid, she didn't know why she even said anything in the first place. She needed to snap out of it. Kiba briefly glanced over at her before looking back into the fire. "Look, how about we just make some food and get some rest? We've got an even longer day ahead of us tomorrow. With mine and Akamaru's noses we can avoid a few encounters and you won't have to strain your eyes as much."

He was right about that. Usually ninja traveled further when they needed to make a deadline, but it was the first day. She turned to her bag and began to pull out a few packaged things. They were premade in order to make the trip more efficient. She then grabbed a few cooking utensils and set up her small pot over the fire. As she began reheating their meal, she noticed that Kiba's features softened. "Are you alright?" She asked but then caught herself. "Sorry, I'm being rude. Sorry…"

"No, you don't have to apologize." Kiba cracked a smile. That was the Kiba she knew and grew up with. She continued to stir the soup and returned the smile. "I haven't had any of your cookin' in a long time. I remember you used to bring us all kinds of things while we were training as Genin." The canine's eyes were filled with reminiscence and Akamaru barked having come out of the tent.

"Ah, I didn't forget about you Akamaru." Hinata turned and dug in her bag again to pull out a large steak. She grabbed a bowl and placed it on the ground near Akamaru so that he could eat. He barked as if to thank her and began chowing away while wagging his tail. The Hyuga then focused on Kiba again, her smile still present on her features. "I remember. I never knew whether or not it bothered you two that I did. I just wanted to do something nice…" She looked down into the pot, watching as it bubbled and began to heat up. Those memories are the once she held dear to her. It was the first time that she'd made friends, even if there were a little unorthodox as a group.

"No, no I did enjoy your food. I mean…we…we enjoyed your food." Kiba cleared his throat and awkwardly began to pet Akamaru's head. The dog stared at him for a few moments and tilted his head as if confused with his actions. Hinata paid no mind to him and began setting aside a few bowls.

"I think it's ready." She removed the pot and set it on a nearby boulder as she began to serve Kiba his helping. Kiba took the bowl from her hands and inhaled the scent. It really had been a long time. He took the first bite without even thinking and instantly burned his mouth. Hinata became frantic and rushed to Kiba's aid. He was fanning his mouth when she moved to grab his face and hold him still. "Are you okay?! You could seriously hurt yourself!" She tilted her head a bit to see the roof of his mouth and also inspected his tongue. Her abilities in medical ninjutsu had excelled over the last few years and by instinct she'd just jumped into it.

They were closer than they'd ever been at this point and it caused both Hinata and Kiba to stumble back. "S-sorry, I just wanted to make sure…you didn't get burned. I uh…I'll just go eat now." She moved to her place across from him and focused on her food. She then began to eat in silence, her face hot from embarrassment. Kiba silently began to eat as well, careful not to burn himself this time.

The following morning, Kiba and Hinata had packed up and prepared themselves to move on to their next objective. Neither one of them said anything about yesterday and somehow managed to keep things under wraps. Hinata pulled out the map and began reading it carefully. "I think that we can manage to get to the next town and take a rest by nightfall. That should be about seven or eight more miles."

"Hm, if we manage to get that far by nightfall, we should be okay but if not sooner I think this is around the distance that they might try to ambush us if we're not careful. Akamaru will be on the lookout to catch their scent and I'll try to follow up with him as best as I can. I'll let you know when it's a good time to scan the area." Kiba then said. She listened to his advice and figured that was the best thing to do. The last thing she wanted was to be impaired because of overusing her ability.

As they continued through the wood, Akamaru stopped. His hair had risen and a low growl bellowed in his throat. Hinata looked to Kiba who'd begun to sniff the air. "Smells like pollen…" Kiba looked to Akamaru, confused. "What's the matter with you? I don't smell anything…." Akamaru continued growl in the direction of the trees and bushes. Hinata focused her eyes her jutsu apparent from the veins coming from her eyes. When she did this, she could see several flows of chakra which caused her to sidestep in front of Kiba.

Her hands moved slowly at first and then steadily quickened forming a barrier around them. "Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms Guard!" She shouted with both of them behind her, she was able to deflect what appeared to be sharp blades of grass using her chakra. As her ability faded, she turned her head to see Kiba with her peripherals and they exchanged a nod.

"C'mon Akamaru," He beckoned the dog as he got on its back and began to ride into the wood head first. Hinata kept up with him as much as she could as she dashed through the trees.

"I saw at least four of them and judging by that technique they have to be from Kusagakure." If she couldn't be anything else, she was well informed on her studies. Other shinobi were capable of mimicking certain techniques, however it was very rare for anyone to go outside of the ways of their villages. Techniques had always been secret and how to do them was even more important to keep them within the village. It was odd that they were carrying something like this, but it meant that Tsunade trusted them to have it delivered.

"Alright, I think the best decision is to split up. This way they can't pinpoint us exactly. I know…I haven't been trusting of you so far but right now I want to believe you can do it Hinata. You looked out for us back there." Kiba hopped off of Akamaru and began to jump from tree to tree on all fours. He glanced over at Hinata for a brief moment and they both split off.

It was comforting to hear that Kiba trusted in her abilities. For now, she knew she had to keep it up so that she could keep his trust and respect. As she darted through the trees, she focused her eyes and spanned her vision 360 degrees. At this point, she could see that they had come up with the same idea of splitting off. Farther off she could see Kiba's chakra moving with two of the figures while the other two seemed to be waiting for her in the clearing up ahead. She stopped several meters before her destination and weighed her options. The possible approaches to this area were very slim, as the trees began to thicken. This could be said only because of their abilities. It was as if they had more weaponry to pull from the area around them which puts her at a disadvantage.

In her arsenal, she couldn't think of many weapons that she had that could initiate. But she remembered what Neji once told her: Offense is the best Defense. She closed her eyes for a few moments and exhaled so that she could even her breath. She focused her eyes on the two blue figures as she rushed through the trees and jumped off the final branch. When she was at the peak of her height, she leaned forward to dive down at the two shinobi with her palms.

Hinata crashed into the ground causing the earth to shatter and the dust to pick up around her. Through the smoke she could still see the chakra flowing through their bodies. She just needed to be very careful before she made a move. She tried to think several steps ahead, just as she had been trained to do but for some reason her mind was frantic. Maybe it was because there were two of them? She was uncertain, but this wasn't the time to second guess herself.

This was a _real _mission where she was going to prove herself.

This was a mission where Kiba was relying on her for once.

Closing her eyes, she could feel the vibrations of their footsteps around her. As they pressed forward, again they tried to attack her starting with a distraction while the other attacked at her blind spot. Her hands swiftly moved, releasing chakra as she did and forming her guard again. The only difference was that this time what appeared to be people were merely clones. Her breathing remained even as she continued to focus on her environment.

_There!_

She quickly dashed forward, her palms open as thrusts with all her might.

**Air Palm**

Immediately, the person fell back startled by her sudden attack. However, Hinata didn't stop there. She continued to force her palms into the person, hitting every major chakra point that she could before she was ambushed from the side. She dodged the first set of moves before taking a blow to her abdomen and then another one to cripple her to the ground. As the first person she attacked remained unconscious, the other one quickly stepped back from her remaining wary of her.

Of course it made sense. They didn't know all of what she was capable of. The Hyuga got back up to her feet and faced her opponent, taking her fighting stance. The opponent made a few quick hand signs to perform their next technique.

**Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet**

She took a small step back as what appeared to be a dragon's head burst from the ground, collecting dirt and mud as it snaked its way beside its conjurer. Its mouth opened wide and began to fire balls of mud at her. She moved through the mud, doing her best to avoid contact with its mud ammunition.

_I have to get closer!_

She dashed forward, feeling urgent to end this quickly. She didn't have time to drag this battle on, especially without knowing how Kiba was doing. Dashing forward, while dodging its attacks, Hinata moved to strike.

**Eight Trigrams Vacuum Wall Palm**

When she was as close as she thought she could get, with one hand she used the ability to deflect the mud bullets that were headed directly for her and the other palm to push directly into her opponent's chakra points. They gasped before being knocked back by the force of her ability into a tree. Their incarnation returned to its original form and Hinata heaved a sigh as she caught her breath.

"That was close…" She ended up muttering to herself as she checked around herself using her vision. It didn't feel as though anyone else could be around and she had to make the quick judgment that no one was blocking her vision. Turning heel, she ran in the direction she last remembered that Kiba was headed to. Hinata had hoped that he hadn't caused any trouble for himself.

"Oi, Akamaru let's finish this. I'm kinda getting annoyed." The Inuzuka's sharp eyes narrowed at his opponent. He was so done with this fight. He had already put one person out of commission. This next guy was more like a gnat and it was really starting to get irritated.

**Fang Wolf Fang**

On all fours, he and Akamaru pushed themselves forward almost as if they were ripping the ground beneath them. Both of their bodies twisted and contorted until they were what appeared to be spinning torpedoes. Kiba had been one of the fastest shinobi in the village. With this ability, he was even faster with his partner Akamaru. This was one of the abilities that were impossible to block or dodge because it was so fast and offensive.

His opponent tried to begin his next set of hand signs, but before he could both Akamaru and Kiba barraged him with their ability causing him to fly off into the wood. Both Akamaru and Kiba spun to a stop once their attack had made contact. "Good boy!" Kiba grinned as he reached down to pet Akamaru who'd been wagging his tail.

Hinata landed in the clearing behind him and looked around. "Oh wow. I guess you're okay. Thank goodness…" She mumbled as she looked at her surroundings around her. At least she could see he'd left one of them unconscious not too far from them. Maybe they could get something out of him?

Or maybe not.

From the looks of it at her distance, that guy wouldn't be getting up. "Well, no use in standing around here. We better keep moving." Kiba then said with his back still to her.

"I suppose. It would've been nice to find out a few more things about them. Maybe if there are more of them ahead that we have to worry about. Or perhaps they have some plans in motion…" Hinata was sure that all of these things were possible. In this situation, it would've been nice to get some kind of information out of any of them.

"There's no use in cryin over spilled milk. As a matter of fact, this is what it's all about. We have to improvise," Kiba replied before turning to face her. "The things that they teach you are different from what you experience. I suggest we move on and take care of whatever comes our way just like this time."

Hinata could only agree with him. It wasn't something that she wanted to argue with him about. He was right in so many words. It was best that they kept moving on with the mission. They were on a ticking deadline before assumptions could be made about them. They couldn't allow something like this to delay them.

"Alright," The Hyuga nodded as Kiba turned heel to lead the way.

Who knew what else Kusagakure had in store for them? She supposed they would just have to be ready for whatever happened.

The trio had still been travelling long into the night. They had just made it to the Valley of the End. Those fights that they'd taken part in had put a dent into their timed schedule. They all continued to walk in silence as they trudged their way past the two giant statues and waterfall at the border of the Land of Fire and Otogakure. They were leaving the safety of their own country and the ability to ask for help would be out of the question once they stepped over the border.

Hinata looked back out into the waters. It wasn't as if this were the first time she had left the village before. As a matter of fact, she had journeyed quite often outside of the village. Perhaps now more than ever, this mission was starting to sink in. This is where the mission really began.

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><p><strong>AN: Thanks for reading. Again leave a review or comment or whatever you want [As long as it's not rude] lol. See you guys next week! Happy Thanks giving! -LumiWolf<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Hey guys, sorry I forgot to update yesterday. But I'm here today! I've been working on college stuff and I've just been so busy since I'm about to go onto Winter Break. I might not have this problem anymore, lol. Um Anyway, thanks for those who have started reading this. I know it's sort of rushed...sort of boring in my opinion but I'm feeling like it will pick up soon...Hopefully OTL...lol **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. [Hinata is even prettier now guys~]**

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><p><strong>Chapter Three: My Worries<strong>

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><p>Within the next day or so, they'd only managed to make it to the outskirts Otogakure. Moving in any further, would result in a disadvantage for themselves. They were already in unknown territory and now they were lacking in some resources now that they were no longer home. Hinata mended the fire, while Akamaru hunted for food and Kiba kept watch of their surroundings.<p>

Akamaru had managed to come back with a rabbit for them to eat. Hinata thanked Akamaru with a pet on his head and took the rabbit to begin preparing it. "Nice job Akamaru." Kiba gave his companion a toothy grin as he ruffled his fur. As Hinata used her kunai to skin and prep the rabbit for cooking, she watched the two of them from a distance. She didn't know how many times she had fallen into watching the two of them. It was really nice that they had been so close.

It was especially funny though, just thinking about them when they were kids. Akamaru was just a pup, but when they fought together they were so strong. Kiba and Akamaru really had grown and compared to her, they were very strong now. She placed the rabbit above the fire and watched as the flames began to make it warm and tender. As she looked into the flames, Kiba moved to sit across from her and watched her silently.

To him, she had grown immensely. However, there were still parts of him that felt like he needed to take care of her. The canine had always worried over her, because she was so timid and hadn't excelled at first like he and Shino. But at the beginning of this mission, he realized he had to trust her and not worry so much. She had proved to him that she was more than capable of handling her own fights.

"Hey, great job out there. I know I was an asshole about it yesterday and I'm sorry. I just…" He thought about it for a few moments, making sure he carefully placed his words. "We just don't go on missions together like we used to. I underestimated your ability." Kiba had been telling the truth in so many words, he just happened to leave out a few others like the ones about his concerns.

Hinata looked up from the fire and gave a small smile. "I understand. I'm sure a lot of people would have that assumption about me. But I promise you, I'll show you all that I'm capable." Her smile had not reached her eyes. There was a burning determination within them. There was something that just said: Looks can be deceiving.

Kiba broke their gaze and averted it towards the fire. If he'd stared at her much longer, he could feel himself burning away from her intense gaze. She was serious. She was more serious than he had ever seen her be. Maybe it was a bad idea to push her as much as he had. Seeing her like that worried him. Kiba had hoped that she wouldn't be so focused on proving herself that she got hurt.

He sighed aloud and looked at their meal for tonight. "I think it might be close to burning."

Hinata, who'd been in a daze, reeled back into reality. She stood from her spot, frantically. ""Oh no!" She gasped as she reached to remove the rabbit from the fire. She moved to set it off to the side to allow it to cool down after inspecting it. It appeared to be fine as far as she could tell. "Thank goodness…" Her shoulders relaxed as she sat down.

Kiba couldn't help but laugh at her. She was always like this. Hinata's cheeks lit up a rosy color. He always seemed to find some amusement out of her. "It's not funny!" She proclaimed, her expression filled with embarrassment.

"Alright, I'll stop laughing. Smells good though, doesn't it Akamaru?" Kiba looked to Akamaru for a response. The dog barked and wagged its tail in agreement while Hinata finished preparing their meals for them. Laughing like this made them forget what they were doing and where they were. The warmth between the three of them made Hinata feel light and all those fears she had in the beginning began to disperse.

The trio ate and decided on who'd take which shifts while the others slept. The first person on the shift was Hinata. She'd insisted on taking the first shift and claimed that she wasn't at all tired. Kiba tried to advise her against it, but she continued to decline. Eventually, Kiba could only agree with her and went ahead and lie down in the tent with Akamaru.

After a while he was actually able to fall asleep. He was much too alert and concerned with Hinata volunteering to do the first round. When he eventually fell asleep, Hinata felt like she was finally able to relax. For some odd reason, she felt pressured to perform in front of Kiba. With him watching her the whole time, she was unsure if he actually meant that he trusted her.

"Great…" She sighed. Again, she couldn't allow herself to think on it too much. That was probably her main problem. She worried too much about what people thought about her and here she was taking on an S-ranked mission. With her thoughts taking most of her focus, Hinata found herself being startled by rustling in the wood. She activated her Byakugan immediately, scanning the area as quickly and efficiently as she could.

Behind her she could hear movements in the tent and Akamaru made his appearance. He growled softly, his hair standing up on end. "Shhh…" She hushed as she brought her focus back to the area around her. They were there, but she couldn't exactly determine where.

_There!_

She tried to pivot her body in such a way so that she could block her blind spot, however she couldn't react in time. Akamaru dashed in quickly and knocked the offender over with a hard tackle. He growled even more and began to bark defensively. The sounds of Akamaru's barking caused Kiba to burst from within his tent, his eyes narrowing.

"I can't smell anything, but I can tell that there is more than just that guy." Kiba leered at the lifeless body on the ground. Hinata moved carefully, trying her best not to be too sudden.

"I think…I think they know that I'm a Byakugan user. Could it be those from Kusagakure again? Or perhaps some are coming from Otogakure?" She tried to calm herself and remain steady, her body tried to relax in the gentle fist stance.

"Shit. I dunno. I think maybe we got scouted by the Otogakure. It couldn't be Kusagakure….could it?" Kiba muttered. The possibilities were there but then again if the Kusagakure had followed them, then that must've meant that they'd somehow gathered some information from the goons from earlier. The probability of that seemed fairly low. The only other solution that could possibly work was that they were working in collaboration with the Otogakure. This meant bad news for them.

Hinata glanced at Kiba's worried expression and then continued to keep the vision around them. Currently, the same thoughts ran through her mind as she thought about who their possible enemy was. Either way, it wasn't a very good situation to be in.

Akamaru continued to growl. He was on high alert; however he wasn't physically directed into any particular direction. This could only mean that there more than just one person out there. With the three of them, they could quite possibly be able to take them if they were anything like the last group. That was unlikely unfortunately and the Otogakure could be extremely dangerous.

The ninja attacked from several directions. Some tried to flank Hinata from her behind where her blind spot was, but Kiba managed to cover it by knocking them back. Akamaru and Hinata worked together to deflect the other enemies within their field of vision.

Hinata tried to keep up with what was going on with her teammates as well as herself, but she was so much more focused on them that she slipped on her line of defense. As one of the enemy shinobi sat back and formed their hand signs, Hinata frantically looked back Kiba who called out, "Hinata watch out!" The distraction from the shinobi caused another to come forth and throw a series of kunai and shurikens at her. As quickly as her body would will itself, she began to move her arms swiftly to perform her Guard. She managed to deflect most of them and pushed forward to silence the Otogakure ninja that had distracted her in the first place.

**Sound Release**

Before she could make it, the sound that emitted from the shinobi's mouth created waves that'd become damaging to the ears. All three of them, grunted in agony as they took on the attack. "Hinata….watch…." Kiba groaned out as he tried to move into her direction. Hinata tried to stand up but only managed to throw a shuriken in order to disrupt their jutsu. Akamaru shook his head briefly before going on the offensive on some of the shinobi that had been closing in. Kiba worked quickly to be by Hinata's side before she could stand up.

And as she tried, Kiba pushed her out of the way to take on a barrage of attacks before collaborating with Akamaru to perform their signature move together. As they knocked them back, Hinata struggled to get up after Kiba shoved her out of the way. She felt unusually betrayed. This was just the thing that she'd been thinking about before this had all began. Why had he pushed her out of the way like that? She was more than capable of taking care of herself.

It wasn't before long that Akamaru scooped her up and had her on his back as he and Kiba darted off with her further away from their camp.

Once they were a far enough distance, Akamaru's movements slowed and finally settled someplace where he could let Hinata off his back. Hinata rested against a nearby tree and closed her eyes briefly. She was feeling awfully exhausted for some odd reason. The Hyuga felt like it might've had something to do with the fact that she'd been awake for most of the night. However, it was awfully strange that she felt _this _tired. She stood to her feet and shook away her tiredness and leered over at Kiba who'd just gotten done checking over Akamaru.

When he was close enough to her, her hand hauled back to slap him across the face. Kiba was astonished. He stood there for a few moments, holding his slightly bruised cheek before barking, "What the hell was that for!?"

At first, Hinata was hesitant. His tone made her feel like she might've been in the wrong for doing that, but somewhere in her mind told her she wasn't. "Why'd you do that? Why'd you push me out of the way like that?" Hinata demanded.

"What the hell are you talking about pushed you outta the way?" Kiba had still been unable to figure out exactly what she was so upset about. The more frustrated he got about it, the more he began to outwardly express his anger with Hinata.

"Back there, during that fight…you pushed me out of the way. I could've handled it. I could've used my guard." Hinata explained, her eyes slowly travelling to the ground. It was as if hearing herself say her feelings aloud were starting to make her stomach churn. The Hyuga had never been the type to be forthright about her feelings, but she felt like it was important that he knew. If they were going to be working together, she wanted him to really trust her like he said he did.

Kiba ruffled his hair with frustration. "Listen to me Hinata…I do trust you. It's just—"

"No. No! If you trusted me then you wouldn't have that. You would've believed that I could handle myself and help defend this group…" Hinata's voice trailed off, her head feeling slightly woozy. Her vision became slightly blurry and she was starting to feel a little woozy. A slight pain in her side began to queue in as she reached for it and looked down.

Blood?

Kiba's nostrils flared as he glanced down at her side. Normally this would be something that could be overlooked, but he could tell it wasn't just the fact that it was bleeding. There was much more to the scenario than even Hinata may not have realized.

She looked from her hand to Kiba and opened her mouth to speak. She wanted to apologize. The adrenaline that had been running through her had finally worn off and now she had begun to realize exactly why he had done what he did. But a cut like this shouldn't have made her feel this way. As a matter of fact, she didn't think that she lost very much blood. Everything around her began to move in waves and suddenly she'd lost all equilibrium. Hinata could feel her knees buckle, but Kiba swiftly grabbed a hold of her waist. "Tch, I tried to look out for ya. You're always…." As Kiba spoke to her, she couldn't catch the last few words he'd been saying. Everything had become a blur and eventually, dark.

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><p><strong>AN: Thanks for reading. Leave a review of your thoughts or comments if you like. They are all very much appreciated and very informative [because I thought I had written something earlier a certain way and I didn't but thanks so much for that clarification]. I know I write short chapters, but I have stated that clearly in many of my works that I do that. And I don't like to write long drawn out things. [Sorry xD] Happy Holidays! [LumiWolf]<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey guys! I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to filter through thousands of stories and settle onto mine. I would also like to thank you for leaving your reviews as well as following my story and me! Please Enjoy~**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto~**

**Side Note: **_Yugakure= Hot Water Village; Shimogakure= Village Hidden in the Frost_

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><p><strong>Chapter Four: My Lies<strong>

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><p>Everything felt terrible. Her body felt tingly as she wiggled her toes and flexed her fingers. Pain throbbed at her side and burned her flesh as she moved to touch it. <em>What happened? <em>She thought as the weight of her own body was too great causing her hand to fall off to the side. Hinata's arm dangled off to the side and she could feel a gentle breeze between her fingers.

What was going on?

Slowly, she forced her eyes open and she could see Kiba's jawline and then his sharp eyes. They were filled with concern but were very focused on what lie ahead. Beneath her, she could feel Akamaru's fur tickle her earlobe and she voluntarily buried her face in his coat. Her eyes closed soon after as she allowed the darkness to consume her again.

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><p>Hinata awoke with a start. Her hair was matted on her forehead and her body was soaked in sweat. She struggled to focus her eyes as she checked her surroundings. Her heart began to slow, but only after she reached for her side to feel that it had been stitched up and she could see that her normal shinobi wear had been replaced by a pair of pajamas.<p>

She pushed the blanket from over her body and stood up from her resting place on the floor. She then reached over towards the window in order to peer outside. Darkness had fallen and the only light that had been available came from the stars and the moon. From the looks of the steam that traveled up into the air, they had to have made it to Yugakure. At least for now, they were out of harm's way. Hinata stood from her bedding on the floor and walked over to the sliding door. Slowly, she opened it and peered down both ways of the long dark hallway.

When she'd stepped out, she bumped against something in the darkness. Startled, she stumbled back into her room a bit before standing in a way that allowed the moonlight to shine into the hallway. On the floor had been a resting Akamaru and a nodding off Kiba. Akamaru had been curled in a furry ball while Kiba rested against the wall behind him, his arms crossed against his chest. She kneeled down before them and gently pet Akamaru's head. He lifted it and barked softly before wagging his tail. The sound of Akamaru's barking caused Kiba to stir and eventually awake with a start and look from Akamaru to Hinata.

Quickly, he ran his fingers through his hair and fumbled to stand to his feet. At first, he didn't look at her but then finally he mumbled, "How long have you been awake?"

Hinata hesitated for a few moments and then stood up to her feet in order to be at his level. "I've just awakened. How long have I been asleep?" She asked, her eyes never leaving him as she instinctively went to touch her side.

Kiba was quite for a few moments and then turned to face her. "I wanna to say about two days since you woke up just now."

"Two days?" Hinata's eyes widened. She had delayed their mission for two days. If anything, he should've left her to hurry and rendezvous at Shimogakure. They'd already managed to be gone for about three or four days, who knew how long that they would be willing to wait.

"Listen, Hinata I'm sure that there's nothing to worry about. Besides, I'm pretty sure this kind of stuff happens all the time and it was expected to happen on a mission like this." Kiba attempted to reassure her. He could tell that she had become worried and even worse he knew that she would start to blame herself. He really didn't want or need that especially with her being in the condition that she was.

Hinata opened her mouth as if she had something to say but then closed it. There was no point in arguing with him about it, because more than likely he was right. He was more experienced at these kinds of missions and she wasn't. Not to mention he'd saved her life prior to being in this situation. If only she'd been paying attention to herself and not gotten so upset, maybe things would've been different.

Akamaru licked the tips of her fingers which caused her to reach down to pet his head. She smiled down at the canine as he nuzzled into her hand. His comfort was a bit reassuring and her thoughts began to settle down a bit. Where had her optimism gone? Ever since the beginning of the mission, she'd always thought that she would be optimistic about everything regardless the situation. Akamaru's gentle reminder caused her to calm down and really think everything over.

Honestly, she should actually be more thankful. Kiba took the time to not leave her behind and make sure she was okay. What she really wanted to know was, "What happened?"

Kiba's shoulders relaxed. She always seemed to make him feel tense with all that worrying she did. Good thing Akamaru is around. He always managed to help her feel at ease. "Remember when you were cut? The Kusagakure managed to get at least one kunai to hit you before you brought up your guard. This happened from behind while you were facing forward during the fight. Then the Otogakure attacked us with a wave of sound in order to stop us but Akamaru and I managed to shut him up. Unfortunately that kunai that managed to cut you not only injured you, but was covered in…poison."

Hinata was silent. That was why he had pushed her out of the way. She hadn't known that that was why he had done it. She had yelled at him and felt a case of mistrust between them for no reason at all.

"I managed to get some of the poison out, but I doubt I got it all. I'm not expert like Ino." Kiba explained. "The only reason I noticed was because of the scent that covered you. I don't smell it now, but who knows how much got into you before we got here. We managed to make it here after escaping them and you slept for a while. So I cleaned you and got you fresh clothes." Kiba continued to explain.

"W-wait, you brought me here and redressed me….and bathed me?" Hinata gasped, her face turning bright red.

"Yeah, I cleaned your wound and—," Kiba looked up and in Hinata's open palm across his face.

"How could you!?" Hinata shouted as she slammed her room door shut. Kiba sat in the dark, rubbing the side of his cheek. It startled him that she would act like that. What exactly had he done wrong? He looked down at Akamaru for an answer who merely whimpered. Kiba sighed and clicked his tongue. _Just great…_

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><p>Hinata finally managed to come out of her room. She was so embarrassed. The Hyuga just couldn't believe that Kiba had seen her naked. She knew she should've been more thankful towards him since he had done her such a huge favor, but it was still a little much for her. She sat in silence as they began to eat the spread of food on the table. Kiba glanced at her every now and again as he gnawed on a few grains of rice. Akamaru had finished his meal fairly quickly. Since he had finished it, he'd been lying in the corner sound asleep.<p>

Hinata grabbed a small piece of fish with her chopstick and looked up from her meal at Kiba. He looked so tired. His eyes were shades darker than she'd remembered. The canine looked as though he hadn't slept for days. She looked back into her rice bowl and sighed. She hoped that it wasn't because of her again.

"So, you're just not going to talk to me?" Kiba grumbled, his eyes leering at her.

She opened her mouth, and then closed it to think about what she had to say before she said anything. "You look so tired." Hinata muttered. "I hope I didn't bother you any further from me sleeping…"

Kiba began to think back on his lack of sleep and how it had been affected him the past few days. As a matter of fact, the more he thought about it the more he wondered exactly why he'd worried himself to death like he did.

- _Two days earlier-_

Akamaru had snatched Hinata up and placed him on his back. Kiba followed suit and began to ride with Akamaru as they made haste to escape. Who knew exactly how many there were but he knew that they didn't stand a chance against all of them with Hinata down. As they ran further into the wood, Kiba glanced back to see that they hadn't been being chased any longer. But to be safe, Kiba pushed Akamaru to run a little further before they found a good spot to make another camp.

When Kiba felt like it was safe enough, he managed to make a small spot further out between the Otogakure and the Yugakure. Around the next day, he would was certain they'd be able to go into Yugakure and be able to tend to her properly. For now, he had to make sure he got her cleaned up immediately. Akamaru laid the unconscious Hinata on the cool grass. She looked so peaceful yet pale as the sun rose to reflect on her porcelain visage.

He kneeled beside her and scanned over her body before his eyes rested on her side. He lifted her shirt up to get a better look at the wound. It wasn't particularly deep, but he could smell something foul mixed in with her blood. Akamaru came back from the river with some water for Kiba to use. Kiba gave the dog a pet on the head as a reward before shifting his attention back onto Hinata's wound. He looked at her face and then down at her wound before exhaling nervously.

He leaned down over her wound and began filtering her blood and the poison. His gestures had been the same for a while, first he sucked blood out of her wound and then he spit it out. He repeated his movements over and over again until he could no longer smell it since he couldn't particularly taste it. Once he was done, he reached into his pack and pulled out materials so that he could be able to stitch her wound up. He wasn't very good at medical ninjutsu, but he knew he would be able to tend to it by common means until Hinata would be able to continue to care for her own wound.

He sat back and wiped her blood from his lips before reaching for the water that Akamaru had brought for him and wetting a cloth. As he wrung some of the water out, he watched for any sudden changes in her breathing. The Hyuga appeared to be fine at the time. Her breathing was steady and it was almost as if she had been in a deep sleep. However, her brow had been perspiring and her body felt warm. She was definitely running a fever.

Kiba cleaned her wound a bit and then rewashed the cloth before setting it against her warm forehead. He then picked up the needle and thread and began to sew up her wound. Luckily for his skills, her wound was fairly shallow and it didn't require very much stitching. Once he was done, he heaved a sigh and looked over at Akamaru who whimpered as he watched Hinata sleep. "I know boy, but I think she's gonna be alright. I'm not sure how quickly this could've gotten into her blood stream, but I at least stopped it before it got bad." Kiba tried to remain optimistic about the whole situation, but it was a scary thing dealing with poison. It was especially scary when it wasn't particularly his expertise.

Kiba tried not to think too much on it, however. He needed to now put some of his focus on the area around him. He wasn't sure how far they had traveled and he wasn't sure if they'd completely lost their enemy. All that the canine knew was that it was up to him to keep the team together and to be on the lookout. If he'd volunteered to be first, perhaps this could've been avoided.

He couldn't think like that. He had to trust in Hinata's abilities. If he didn't then their trio wasn't going to work out. Above anything, he wanted it to work. He wanted to have faith in Hinata so bad. Did it really have anything to do with faith to begin with? Was he just too overprotective of her?

This was a question he feared would trouble him since before the mission even began.

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><p>The following morning, Kiba grabbed Hinata and lie her on Akamaru's back. They needed to travel further. Even though there were no signs of the enemy all night, he couldn't trust it. So Kiba hurried along the borders of the Sound and finally made it into Yugakure. He'd found a place that they could stay for a while and that he could properly watch over her.<p>

When they checked into their rooms, Kiba knew that he'd have to do something about the clothes that she had on and get her clean. He stared at her still body as her chest rose and fell with each breath.

_Her chest. _

What the fuck was wrong with him? He shook his head. This was his childhood friend. This was his teammate. He shouldn't have even been thinking of something like that. She was unconscious for pete's sake. With frustration, he grumbled as he looked to Akamaru. He always seemed to look to Akamaru as if the dog would give him some sort of resounding guidance as to what he should do next. Of course, Akamaru would respond with a bark and a wag of his tail. Kiba sighed as he reached to pet his head.

The canine knew exactly what he needed to do. He just had to be a man about it.

Yes, a professional. That's it. He had to be a professional.

Shaky hands reached for her coat as he unzipped it and removed it from her body. He was getting closer and closer to actual skin. _Her _skin. He shook his head again, mustering up the courage as he removed her pants and then finally her undergarments. When she was bare, he froze. His eyes travelled along her body, cheeks flushed. This was not the way that he'd ever imagined seeing her like this. He'd never thought that under such circumstances that this was how he would see the bare Hinata Hyuga.

But this meant that he'd been admitting to fact that he'd thought about seeing her. That he'd thought about….

Again, he shook his head. His cheeks lost their color as he remembered the severity of their situation. No, this wasn't how he wanted to see Hinata. And this thought panged him with a little sadness. He got her into the path and began to bathe her in silence. Not another thought crossed his mind about her. Perhaps all would be clearer when she finally awoke.

Kiba managed to complete her bath and place her into bed. It was only day two but physically he was growing tired. He hadn't had a day's rest since that night of the fight. Mentally, however, he continued to push forward. He wanted to make sure that there were no sudden changes in any part of her body. Her wound looked fine and there were no signs of infection, but she just continued to sleep. That was the part that worried him.

There was no way he could leave her side. So he stayed there, semi-awake and alert. He knew that he would remain, like a loyal pup until she opened her eyes.

No matter how long it took.

-_Present Day-_

Kiba silently chewed his food for a few moments and then responded with, "I'm just a little tired is all. I wasn't that concerned with you. As a matter of fact, if you slept any longer I was gonna leave you here and send a message to the Fifth. If you pull another stunt like that you will be sent back. Remember, we can't afford mistakes." Kiba then proceeded to eat. The silence in the air thickened as Hinata mulled over Kiba's words. They were harsh…but possibly true. She had put them in a bind and she hadn't been feeling like she was completely herself.

She supposed that it had been the thought that had counted. "You're right. I should be more careful. I won't let it happen again. Besides, I feel a whole lot better and I have you to thank. We can start back up tomorrow." Her eyes were filled with determination and Kiba caught them. She had always given him this overwhelming feeling.

Ever since they were children, no matter what he warded her against, she continued to fight and find strength in her resolve.

He admired her for that. But for some reason, he could never find the words to tell her that.

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><p><strong>AN: Thanks for reading. How did you like it? Didn't like it? I personally enjoy Kiba this way kinda...sorta.. lol Probably cause I'm omniscient to his real feelings. Let me know and thank you for reading! :D [Lumiwolf]**


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